Articles such as cable winding mechanisms are known, see for instance JP-A-H09-154196 which describes a plug mounted cable drum with a gear or handle wound drum having a detent mechanism. JP-A-H07-312484 similarly shows a spring tensioned winding drum with a detent mechanism which may be incorporated in mechanisms such as keyboards and telephones.
Such winders do not provide mechanisms which are as simple as possible, requiring slip rings or sockets to make contact with the outgoing conductors, a carefully journalled axle to rotate the winding drum around and a carefully crafted detent mechanism to stop the cord unwinding unless required.
Therefore a need exists for a solution to the problem of providing a simple easily constructed method of winding cords or cables.
It is acknowledged that the term ‘comprise’ may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term ‘comprise’ shall have an inclusive meaning—i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term ‘comprised’ or ‘comprising’ is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.
The term ‘cords’ is used in this specification to include cords, cables, wires and other elongate flexible tendons.
The present invention provides a solution to the above and other problems which offers advantages over the background art.